STRASBOURG, France -- The 11th annual ASTA Silent Auction will be
held here Nov. 8 to 10 during the ASTA World Travel Congress.
Delegates can bid on a range of products and services provided by
suppliers to support the ASTA Foundation.
A Directory of Donations can be found in delegate bags upon
registration and a supplement with additional items up for bid is
available on site.
According to Myriam Lechuga, manager of the ASTA Foundation, 60
donations have been received. They range from gourmet cookbooks and
pet carriers to vacation packages and cruises.
The goal for this year's auction is to raise $80,000 that will
be placed into the general fund for the ASTA Foundation, which runs
scholarship, education and research programs.
The money generated by the auction supports more than 40 annual
scholarship awards for travel and tourism students and travel
professionals. Scholarships range from $250 to $3,000 per
recipient.
According to Lechuga, last year's auction raised $60,000 for the
various scholarships and programs administered by the foundation.
In its 20 years of existence, the foundation has helped more than
400 students and industry professionals to further their education,
with more than $200,000 in funds awarded in the past three years
alone, she said.
The opening bid for each product must be at least one quarter of
its retail value, and increments are at least one-fifth of the
opening bid. All opening bids and increment values are listed at
the auction site.
The auction will be located on the trade show floors with
bidding taking place from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 8; 1:30 p.m. to
4:30 p.m. Nov. 9, and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 10. No bids will be
accepted after 1 p.m. Nov. 10.
Winning bidders will be notified the morning of Nov. 11 and
payment is accepted that day.
Among the items up for bid are:
A six-night SuperClubs Resorts stay for two at the Grand Lido
Negril (Jamaica) and a cruise aboard the Zein, a 147-foot yacht.
Approximate retail value is $5,308.A seven-night cruise for two aboard one of the Delta Queen
Steamboat Co.'s three vessels. Retail value is about $6,140.A trip for two to Hawaii by Classic Custom Vacations, valued at
$3,500. The trip includes two roundtrip coach tickets on Delta Air
Lines to Honolulu; three nights' accommodations each at the Ihilani
Resort and Spa and the Sheraton Maui, and use of a rental car on
Oahu and Maui.An original oil painting by a California artist on a natural
oak wine barrel head, offered by Creative Leisure International.
The painting is valued at $400.Three pet carrier bags donated by the Sherpa Pet Trading Co.
The donations are the Sherpa Tote-Around Town Bag, with a retail
value of $60; the Classic Sherpa Traveler, with a value of $80, and
the Sherpa-on Wheels, valued at $130.A Sony videocamera with tripod and carrying case, worth $600,
offered by Avis Rent A Car.Two first class Eurail Flexi Railpasses, good for 15 days of
travel within a two month period. The passes carry a retail value
of about $1,672 and are offered by DER Travel Services.A collection of cookbooks, offered by Gourmet magazine, with a
retail value of $200.Two roundtrip coach tickets, valid for one year from the issue
date on the US Airways system, with a retail value of $2,000.